7 by far. I just took my Acer T690 > Pentium D duo core 3GHz > 2GBs mem out of moth balls to run CU and Insider builds on it. Cannot do anything with it for at least 5 minutes until 10 is finished thrashing the HD and using 60 to 65% of mem. Then when it calms down it's as slow as an inchworm. LOL.

8.1 ran ok on it.

My ComputersYou need to have JavaScript enabled so that you can use this ...

Funny you should say that, I found the opposite. My test machine (System Two in My Computers below) has an Intel Celeron T3100 1.9GHz and a mere 1GB of RAM (so it's running a 32-bit OS). I have system images for it for W7 Pro and all versions of W10 Pro. If anything, 1703 feels a little quicker to start up than W7. MS Office certainly seems to open faster under W10 than W7.

My ComputersYou need to have JavaScript enabled so that you can use this ...

Ok, perfect, I will install 7. It's for public use, so it will have a freezer or restore software everytime it shuts down. Do you think I should fully update it and then install the restore software or leave it bare and then install the restore software? Which will run faster, Windows 7 updated or not?

My ComputerYou need to have JavaScript enabled so that you can use this ...

Ok, thanks. As per what Bree posted, I may be misleading you. In thinking on it again, each machine architecture is different with the way it handles an OS and in which way it is set up. I haven't run 7 on this machine in years, therefore I wouldn't know. I can say that 8/8.1 ran using less resources and booted quicker.

Please see below.

My ComputersYou need to have JavaScript enabled so that you can use this ...

Funny you should say that, I found the opposite. My test machine (System Two in My Computers below) has an Intel Celeron T3100 1.9GHz and a mere 1GB of RAM (so it's running a 32-bit OS). I have system images for it for W7 Pro and all versions of W10 Pro. If anything, 1703 feels a little quicker to start up than W7. MS Office certainly seems to open faster under W10 than W7.

Thanks for pointing this out, @Bree. As with my post to Ten1Ten > We can see that there may be many variables. I timed while booting this Acer up, let all the taskbar programs load (30 seconds), and then opened Task Manager (which took 20 seconds to open and fill). Here are TM shots with 4-1/2 minute duration. This is in a fresh 1703, all updated, and signed in with an MS account, which as you know is sending and receiving telemetry to sync. My Insiders are worse, which is understandable with more telemetry. I'm sure a local account would be much better.

All in all, I guess "slow" or "quick" is a matter of perspective. I guess too that the OP would have to test his/her machine to get results to compare.

Next one is when it calms down and idles. I know 8.1 used 30 to 35% mem.

My ComputersYou need to have JavaScript enabled so that you can use this ...

Yes, and it's funny how perceptions can be misleading. My test machine started life as OEM-installed Win7/MS Office. The Win10 images were made by upgrading this to 10. To put some actual figures on timings I used this...What is your Windows 10 Restart Time?
Windows 7 (x86) took 80 seconds, while Windows 10 1703 (x86) took 90 seconds (though it still felt quicker/smoother). I still maintain that Office opened quicker and was more responsive in use. Either way, there was little in it.

For the OP's purposes 7 is probably best suited. Like others, I would go for the latest updates. On the use of Reboot Restore RX, it worries me how this will cope with virus definition updates, surely these shouldn't be reset to 'day 1' at each restart?

My ComputersYou need to have JavaScript enabled so that you can use this ...

From PC World
Post date : February 5th, 2016
http://www.pcworld.com/article/3030200/windows/how-to-make-windows-10-faster-5-ways-to-speed-up-your-pc.html
For the well versed users, this article is "old-news".
For novice users, this may be...

I run several windows 10 virtual machines at the same time on my workstation at work. Sometimes when they were idle, the the Disk IO would hit 100% due to windows defender doing a scan, etc... (checked via resource monitor) Well that would...

About Us
Windows 10 Forums is an independent web site and has not been authorized,
sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation.
"Windows 10" and related materials are trademarks of Microsoft Corp.